Match reportLiverpool suffer first Premier League defeat of season at Crystal Palace

A goal in added time from substitute Eddie Nketiah secured victory for the home side, who added to their opening effort from Ismaila Sarr.

Federico Chiesa had levelled in the 87th minute for the Reds but Arne Slot saw his team beaten for the first time in the league this season.

Team

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz were selected to start in the capital as Slot made two alterations from last weekend’s Merseyside derby win over Everton.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate (Frimpong, 74), Kerkez, Wirtz (Chiesa, 74), Szoboszlai, Isak (Ngumoha, 84), Mac Allister (Jones, 65), Salah, Bradley (Gakpo, 46), Gravenberch.

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Robertson.

First half

After a quiet start to proceedings in front of goal, it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the ninth minute with the first attack of the game.

Palace won a corner via Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada produced a swinging delivery into the box from the left. Ryan Gravenberch’s attempted headed clearance fell to Sarr and he converted from close range.

Alisson Becker made an excellent save to prevent an unmarked Pino from swiftly doubling that lead, repelling the low strike from the edge of the area.

Liverpool responded a short while later, forcing goalkeeper Dean Henderson to push a driven effort from Gravenberch away via the post after Mohamed Salah’s free-kick was initially blocked.

Oliver Glasner’s men then enjoyed two further chances, Daniel Munoz moving Alisson into another save after a Tyrick Mitchell cutback, before he nodded the follow-up into the ground and over the bar.

Jean-Philippe Mateta then burst through the Reds defence; however, he was to be thwarted by Liverpool’s No.1 once more thanks to a strong one-handed stop.

Ibrahima Konate also headed a Dominik Szoboszlai corner wide of the mark in an opportunity for the Reds, though at the other end Adam Wharton and Sarr combined for the latter to hit the side-netting.

In added time, Mateta again threatened and hit the post with a curling shot from distance, ahead of volleying a well-struck effort over the bar to close out the first half.

Second half

After the restart, the game saw fewer clear-cut openings at either end with Palace holding the advantage.

Munoz attempted to convert a low Pino cross from a tight angle, while half-time Reds substitute Cody Gakpo fired a shot from outside the area off target.

Ahead of the hour mark, Wirtz’s run into the six-yard box was found by Szoboszlai, though he was unable to convert from in close as Henderson punched his effort away.

Shortly afterwards, Alexis Mac Allister picked out the run of Isak in the box and the striker found space with some clever play, but was unable to find the far corner with his shot.

Isak next guided a header over the bar as Liverpool pushed forward in an attempt to find a leveller, while Szoboszlai saw a low drive at goal turned over by Salah with pressure continuing in the Palace half.

Eagles substitute Nketiah glanced a header wide from a Mateta cross to serve as a reminder of the threat the hosts posed on the counter.

Chiesa was also introduced into the contest from the bench by Slot and he almost restored parity between the two teams with a curling effort that whistled the wrong side of the post with Henderson rooted to the spot.

The Italian was not to be denied his leveller, though, reacting quickest in the box after a deflected cross fell into his path to clip a low shot into the back of the net with 87 on the clock.

Both teams pushed for a decider amid stoppage time and it was Palace who produced it, Nketiah driving in a low finish when a long throw from the right reached him inside the box.